Osprey New Vanguard 31 : The M47 and M48 Patton Tanks

Rushed into production as a result of Cold War fears, the M47 and M48 suffered from a number of early teething troubles. In the long term however, they proved to be the backbone of the US armoured units for more than a decade, bridging the gap between the World War 2 vintage M26 Pershing and the M60 series introduced in the 1960s. These tanks saw service with more than 25 different nations world-wide and played an important role in the Vietnam War, as well as in the Arab-Israeli conflict and in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. Steven Zaloga details the origins, development and deployment of this battle-tested and truly international fighting machine. He lists the wide-range of countries that have received and used the Patton; from Japan, with only one tank for evaluative purposes, to the former Federal Republic of Germany, which received 1,120 M47s, 203 M48A1s, 1,001 M48A2s and 462 M48A2Cs. Much attention is given to the performance of the Patton in combat - detailed accounts are given of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan campaign and the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The Patton's performance in Vietnam is also discussed. Modifications due to combat experience and by individual countries are looked at, as is the changing armament of the type. Specialist variants and derivatives are also given space, including the AVLB (Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge) and an anti-aircraft variant. The book provides a comprehensive view of the M47 and M48 Patton tanks, combining extremely detailed technical information with a good account of the vehicle's performance and development under numerous flags during its long period of service. Illustrations by Jim Laurier.

Contents

• Production
• Operation of the M47 and M48
• Replacement and Retrofit
• Operational Deployment